A delegation from the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) will attend the October Forum on Post-disaster Psychological Trauma Intervention in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
6.28.10
Alexandria, VA ñ June 24, 2010 ñ This fall, a delegation from the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) will attend the Forum on Post-disaster Psychological Trauma Intervention in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Leading the delegation will be Linda Barclay, AMHCA President 2009-2010, and Judith Bertenthal-Smith, AMHCA Director-at-large 2010-2013.
The delegation will depart on October 17, 2010, returning on October 29, 2010. Participating American mental health counselors will meet with their Chinese counterparts, participate in intimate dialogue and social events, and experience the rich culture of China.
"As American mental health counselors, we have a wonderful opportunity to be on the front end of forging a global relationship with the Chinese Association for Mental Hygiene," said Barclay. "This past year's tragic earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, as well as in China, remind us that victims of trauma and disaster erase all borders," she said.
"It is imperative that response and management of disaster relief reflect the cooperative and collegial spirit that ensures victims coordinated, caring and helpful relief," Bertenthal-Smith said.
The delegation's travel to China is intended to start a reciprocal dialogue that will serve to aid best practices for early and long-term disaster response, and create professional relationships among American and Chinese mental health counselors and their respective professional organizations.
For more information about the program, visit professionalsabroad.org.